Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #104550

Hugh Klein, PhD, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 401 Schuyler Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-588-8875, hughk@aol.com, Claire E. Sterk, PhD, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Room 520, Atlanta, GA 30322, and Kirk W. Elifson, Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, One University Plaza, Atlanta, GA 30303.

The paper focuses on predictors of recent (i.e., past year) sexually transmitted infections among members of a nonclinical population of adult “at risk” women. Six domains of possible influential factors were examined: demographic characteristics, background and experiences measures, childhood maltreatment experiences, psychosocial functioning items, substance use measures, and sexual behavior and attitudinal items. This research is based on Project FAST, a study of 250 predominantly African American adult “at risk” women residing in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. Interviews were conducted between August 1997 and August 2000. The community identification process was used to identify potential study participants, with further expansion of the sample done via targeted sampling and ethnographic mapping procedures. Based on multiple logistic regression analysis, two models were derived. Both models identified age, childhood maltreatment experiences, partner communication, and level of happiness in the longest lifetime romantic relationship as significant predictors of whether or not women reported a recent sexually transmitted infection. In addition, coping skills were found to be relevant in Model 1, whereas illegal drug use status was an integral component of Model 2. The paper concludes with a discussion of the education- and intervention-related implications of these findings. In particular, we address the implications of our findings pertaining to age, childhood maltreatment experiences, level of partner communication, extent of happiness in one's longest lifetime romantic relationship, coping skills, and drug usage.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the presentation, the participant will be able to (
• identify the factors associated with contracting sexually transmitted diseases/infections in a population of "at risk" women; and (
• identif prevention and intervention techniques that might be useful in avoiding the spread of STDs/STIs in this population.

Keywords: Women's Health, Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation